2 kommentarer:

Anonym
sagde ...

I certainly sympathise with your sentiments. Anders Fogh’s policy with regard to the extreme-right has certainly gone beyond the acceptable in post-World War Two Europe. If he had only attempted to encroach on their policy areas to weaken their support base and gain more votes for his own party, which has been done by both the right and left throughout the EU, this would have been tolerable. But he has given them a place at the table of moderate parliamentary democracy, all but made them a government party, and is responsible for making them the second largest right-wing party in parliament. Inexcusable!

Since last week, the DK media has been hammering on about AF getting the "EU presidency" job. Incredible! There isn’t even a job to give out yet! The Irish Republic still has to ratify the Lisbon Treaty through a referendum and only when that is done can we talk about the jobs and who might get them.

As for AF’s chances, at the time of writing, international media comment would still appear limited to a little article on the BBC’s website and an article in the Times of London, that paragon of pro-EU sentiment, what. These sources have been presented as somehow meaning that AF has the job if he wants it.

Well here’s my modest tu’pence worth:

First, it is far too early to be evening talking about this issue.

Second, other names from small countries have been tipped as strong contenders such as Jean-Claude Juncker (Luxembourg) and Bertie Ahern (Ireland). The latter has also been discussed in several media and has even the declared backing of Poland since March and he hasn’t even expressed his interest. At least he has not started a sudden love affair with the French language like AF recently has.

Third, if the job should exist in the near future, it will require someone with recognised charisma and is likeable from a media perspective, has negotiating skills (i.e. he’ll have to be a 'fixer' who has some innate sentiment of what is right and wrong, but can push it to the limit and not step over to the dark side) and a record of actually having achieved things of real historic significance on both the EU and domestic stage. And he’ll have to be known outside of his own country. Like it or not my DK friends, whilst as much as a small country can have a known PM/President outside of its frontiers, especially in the larger EU countries such as Germany and France, amongst the reasonably educated and interested, Bertie would do a lot better than AF. In fact, it is safe to say that AF doesn’t even step up to the plate on any of the above criteria in comparison with many of his potential rivals from large or small countries.

Fourth, this DK media frenzy is fuelled by nationalist pride and Pia, who can not abide the idea of losing her AF. Incidentally, nationalist pride is the answer to your question Chris. No, I do not think that many Danes have a problem with exporting AF because even the idea of getting this job for DK will override everything.

Finally, its hard to say what factors will come into play during the coming months. It is far too early to be evening talking about this issue.